Specter Called 'Media Hog'

When Rep. Tom Foglietta arrived in Philadelphia recently to give an influential House colleague a tour of the Navy Yard, he didn't count on being upstaged by Sen. Arlen Specter.

With a last-minute tour and press conference, Pennsylvania's junior senator managed to steal part of the limelight - and press attention to save the threatened Navy yard.

Foglietta, a Philadelphia Democrat, had gone to a good deal of trouble to convince Rep. Les Aspin, D-Wis., to have a first-hand look at the military site. As chairman of the Armed Services Committee, Aspin will play a key role in deciding the fate of the yard.

"Until the day before (the visit), Mr. Specter was not scheduled to be there," said Foglietta aide Phil Rotondi. "And it was my understanding that he did not have a whole lot to say."

Foglietta tried unsuccessfully to reach Specter to urge the senator not to attend, fearing the senator's appearance would detract press attention from Aspin, Rotondi said.

Foglietta is now concerned that the Republican senator's appearance could upset bipartisan efforts by the Pennsylvania delegation to save the yard, which already has suffered 1,000 layoffs, Rotondi said.

Whether the political fallout of the Specter trip will affect the fate of the Navy yard is questionable. However, the incident has added fuel to complaints on Capitol Hill that Specter, up for re-election next year, is becoming a "media hog."

"That's what we laid it to - to explain his obsession with jumping into the limelight," Rotondi said. "It seems that no matter how small the issue, he's grandstanding it."

"Foglietta never called me about the subject," Specter responded. "I go to the Navy Yard frequently. I don't know why Congressman Foglietta should be concerned about that, if I'd gone there with Aspin or by myself, on that day or another day.

"I have a very vital interest in what happens in the Philadelphia Navy Yard as a U.S. senator from Pennsylvania," Specter added. "If somebody thinks that's playing to the media, I think they're just wrong."

The two Pennsylvania officials have not spoken since the incident, but "I'm sure my boss will express his misgivings to Sen. Specter" when they do, Rotondi said.

"It's gotten to the point where when the Pennsylvania House delegation needs something from the Senate side, they'll either go to (Sen. John) Heinz or to another senator outside of Pennsylvania," said a congressional aide who is a 12-year Capitol Hill veteran.

Several aides on both sides of Congress accused Specter of cajoling Heinz, a fellow Republican, for the chairmanship of the Coal Caucus the candidate could look better in western Pennsylvania, where he is weakest.

Specter said he "has always had an interest" in the caucus. Heinz aide Richard Bryers said Heinz gave up the chairmanship "because of other pressing business," including his new chairmanship of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which raises money for the party's Senate candidates.

If Specter is manipulating the press, at least one news agency has acknowledged it.

United Press International last year gave Specter its "Hot Dog Award" for making his subcommittee a forum for such attention grabbers as corporal punishment and child pornography. For example, Specter brought in kiddie show host Captain Kangaroo - a character certain to entice reporters and photographers.